Louis XVI and Marie-Antoinette became King and Queen of France

On 10 May 1774, Louis XVI and Marie-Antoinette became king and queen
of France.

Upon the death of Louis XV on 10 May 1774, the Dauphin ascended the
throne as King Louis XVI of France and Navarre with Marie Antoinette
as his queen. 




When Louis XVI acceded to the throne in 1774, he was nineteen
years old. He had an enormous responsibility, as the government
was deeply in debt, and resentment of despotic monarchy was
on the rise. He himself felt woefully unqualified to resolve the situation.

As king, Louis XVI focused primarily on religious freedom and
foreign policy. While none doubted his intellectual ability to rule
France, it was quite clear that, although raised as the Dauphin since
1765, he lacked firmness and decisiveness. 

His desire to be loved by his people is evident in the prefaces of many
of his edicts that would often explain the nature and good intention
of his actions as benefiting the people, such as reinstating the
parlements. 




When questioned about his decision, he said, "It may be considered
politically unwise, but it seems to me to be the general wish and
I want to be loved." 

In spite of his indecisiveness, Louis XVI was determined to be a good king,
stating that he "must always consult public opinion; it is never wrong."




At the outset, the new Queen had limited political influence with
her husband, who, with the support of his two most important ministers,
Chief Minister Maurepas and Foreign Minister Vergennes, blocked
several of her candidates from assuming important positions, including
Choiseul. The Queen did play a decisive role in the disgrace and exile
of the most powerful of Louis XV's ministers, the duc d'Aiguillon.



Additional thoughts

I think the proverb: "the road to hell was paved with good intentions" 
could be absolutely applied in the lifes of King Louis XVI and Queen
Marie-Antoinette of France. 



Source picture: Wikipedia

Comments

Vallypee said…
Kathleen, have you read Susie Kelly’s In The Valley of Heaven and Hell. It is about her cycling trip along the last journey Louis and Marie Antoinette took when they tried to escape. She writes a lot about the couple. Poor things were terribly naïve, but they meant well, as you say. I think you’d enjoy it!
thank you very much for your lovely comment and your interesting hint!

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